In 2008, Silicon Valley entrepreneur and WebEx co-founder Susan Xu was searching for ways to give back to the community that had offered her so much. Strongly believing in the power of education, she began gathering a team to build a vision that would bring people from different cultures and backgrounds together in a collaborative, academic setting. The vision ultimately became Valley International Academy (VIA), a college-prep, international high school.
Soon after, she began collaborating with Kevin Sved, co-founder and head of the acclaimed The Accelerated School in Los Angeles. With Kevin serving as VIA's new head of school, they began developing the vision for an innovative, entrepreneurial high school that would combine both international and local students in a rigorous academic program. Throughout their tenure, students will be engaged in collaborative projects that address real-world issues. To complete this vision, VIA merged with School of Choice, founded by Oxford scholar, Robert Arne. School of Choice recently acquired Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) candidacy status and maintains its long-held ability to process I-20 visas for international students.
We believe excellent education starts by respecting and celebrating all students, their diverse family backgrounds, and the life experience they bring to the community. At VIA, we strive to nurture a diverse and inclusive environment that affirms and supports our multicultural, international community, inclusive of race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and socioeconomic class.
We believe that by appreciating diverse cultures and myriad schools of thought, we enrich the lives of all students, find commonalities in our shared humanity, and build empathy for people who are different. We continually strive to attract and support a diverse faculty and staff who bring a wide range of experience to the community and into the classroom.
By explicitly affirming the identity of all students through culturally responsive pedagogy, we hope to simultaneously build trust, make learning exciting and fun, and support students as they develop self-confidence. As numerous studies show, students who are self-confident are more likely to reach their social and academic potential. We hope to create an environment that is inclusive, anti-bias, and supports all students so they can feel free to be themselves.
Global Citizenship: Students will learn what it means to be global citizens; responsible members of society, from environmental awareness and action to entrepreneurial pursuits with sustainable methods. Students will understand how their actions affect others, both locally and globally.
International Community: Students will be immersed in an international, multicultural environment, where they learn to respect and celebrate cultures and traditions from around the world.
